Alabama scores low on infectious disease readiness report

State public health official questions some of the indicators

12:57 AM,
Dec. 27, 2013

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Alabama scored four out of 10 in a recent report that assesses states' abilities to protect against infectious disease threats. But the state isn't alone - 33 other states scored five or lower on the key indicators used in the report, which was released Dec. 17.

The report, "Outbreaks: Protecting Americans from Infectious Diseases," found that overall, the nation's ability to prevent and control infectious disease outbreaks is hampered by outdated systems and limited resources.

Many Americans believe that the U.S. public health system has done a good job of controlling infectious ...